


Evening in Brooklyn

by CalmBeforeAStorm



Series: Magnus and Max [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: M/M, Max thinks Magnus is the bee's knees, and he's right, cute Madzie, i love Madzie so much you guys, just ask Alec, last time: Max meets Magnus, this time: Max meets Madzie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-15
Updated: 2017-08-15
Packaged: 2018-12-15 20:31:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11813652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CalmBeforeAStorm/pseuds/CalmBeforeAStorm
Summary: Alec takes his little brother to see Magnus, and meet a certain little warlock.





	Evening in Brooklyn

**Author's Note:**

> Well, season 2 made me write a (short) sequel to my first Magnus meets Max story. In this universe, Max was injured by Sebastian as in the show, but his original meeting with Magnus took place under different circumstances (see the previous fic in the series). It's not necessary to read my previous fic to understand this one, though!
> 
> *Slight spoilers for all of season 2*
> 
> Enjoy!

 

‘When can we go see Magnus?’

 _Ah._ There was a question Alec had gotten _very_ used to the past few weeks.

Max was, thank the Angel, fully healed from his Sebastian-inflicted injury. After a few days of bed rest in the infirmary (and, after, his bedroom), he was up and ready to go yet again. His first mission, a patrol with Izzy and Clary through Central Park one morning, had gone off without a hitch.

(Alec had assigned him the simplest, least-likely-to-escalate-into-an-emergency-situation mission he could think of – although assigning Clary with him was a risk in itself. She had a talent for attracting trouble. Alec was certain she could start a twelve-person brawl in an ice cream parlour).

Alec was proud of Max for completing his first ever mission as a Shadowhunter. It was a bit strange, honestly, to think about his little brother that way – as a soldier, someone who was expected to fight and defend himself and others if necessary. It was made extra jarring by the fact that, most of the time, Max still acted like a child. That child-like behaviour included an occasional refusal to go to bed at bedtime, an almost-comical disgust for broccoli, and a fascination with Alec’s boyfriend that, after Magnus’ help in treating his injuries, had developed into something verging on hero-worship.

Since the end of the war with Valentine (and Magnus’ and Alec’s reconciliation), practically every attempt by Alec to sneak away to Magnus’ loft without Max noticing had failed.

‘Can I come with you?’ was the inevitable, unvarying shout down the corridor. Alec had grown exasperated with trying to explain to Max that no, he couldn’t come this time. He’d grown even more tired of blushing and stumbling his way through some half-baked excuse for why Max ‘couldn’t just come with you, and just say hello and then stay in the flat and watch a movie or something and not bother you guys?’

(Alec was terrified of the day when Izzy would inevitably grow bored of just grinning knowingly at Alec’s blushing face and – Angel forbid – explain to Max that his brother didn’t want him there because, half the time, what Alec and Magnus were up to in the loft was just not child-appropriate).

Which was why, this time, Alec stopped mid-stride and considered.

He had the next three days off. There was no harm in bringing Max over, just for today. He’d have Magnus all to himself tomorrow and the day after, and he was pretty sure Magnus was planning on whisking the two of them off to Dublin. This could be the last chance for a while for Max to see Magnus.

He sighed, and turned to face Max, loitering at the end of the corridor leading to the ops centre.

‘Alright. Let me just ring and see if it’s okay’

‘Yes!’

Max beamed, jogging over as Alec dug out his phone and rang his boyfriend’s number. Magnus picked up on the fourth ring.

‘Darling. You on your way over?’

Alec let himself smile a little at the smooth, familiar voice.

‘Yeah. Actually, I just want to know if you’d mind Max coming over for a few hours. He’s been annoying me for weeks about seeing you’

‘Hey!’

Alec smirked, ignoring Max’s indignation.

‘Ordinarily, love, I’d say no problem, but I’m actually minding Madzie for the day. Catarina is off at a conference in Washington and her usual sitter was on holidays’

Alec glanced at Max, loathe to disappoint him.

‘Oh, right’

Magnus hesitated on the other end of the line, then continued.

‘Unless Max wouldn’t mind? They might enjoy each other’s company’

Alec tried to picture it. Being a Shadowhunter child, especially one whose parents were constantly moving him around from Idris, to New York, and to various other Institutes for training, could make it rather difficult to make friends. Max didn’t really know many others his age. Madzie was a few years younger, sure, but maybe it would do Max good to interact with her a little. And she was a Downworlder. Alec had become convinced that the more young Shadowhunters got to know Downworlders as friends rather than people to be policed, the better the Shadow World would become.

‘Hold on, I’ll ask him’

Alec held the phone down.

‘Magnus is fine with it, but he’s minding a little girl today. Does that bother you?’

Max frowned. ‘A girl?’

Alec smirked.

‘Yeah. A little warlock girl. I’ve met her before, she’s really sweet. What do you say?’

Max pondered the situation for a moment. Then, obviously deciding that a little girl was going to have to be the price he paid for seeing Magnus, shrugged.

‘Sure’

__________________________________________________________________________________

They stopped for a minute for Max to run to his room and pick up the book on Komodo Dragons Magnus had lent him the first time they met, then they set off for Brooklyn.

The closer they got, the more nervous Max seemed to become. He was clutching the book tightly to his chest by the time they were in the elevator up to the penthouse.

‘Remember not to ask Madzie about her warlock mark unless she wants to show you. She hasn’t really learned to glamour it yet, so she might have it hidden by her clothes’

Max nodded, flushing, and Alec remembered how Max had asked to see Magnus’ straight-out. He squeezed Max’ shoulder a little as they stepped out of the elevator. They walked down to Magnus’ door and knocked. Magnus’ wards probably sensed Alec and Max coming anyway, but he thought it was always polite to let him know the old-fashioned way.

The door opened, and Alec smiled at the sight of his boyfriend, unusually sans-makeup. Magnus had on skinny jeans and a hoodie that read ‘Columbia University, Class of 1973’. His hair was soft and free of any product. A lazy day had obviously been had by Madzie and Magnus so far.

Alec leaned forward to kiss Magnus hello, then stood back to let Max greet him.

Max shoved the book into Alec’s surprised hands and rushed forward, wrapping both arms tightly around Magnus’ waist.

Magnus huffed a laugh and hugged Max back.

‘Thank you for saving me’ Max mumbled into Magnus’ hoodie.

Magnus sounded surprised.

‘I’m glad Alec called me when you were hurt, pet, but I’m afraid I couldn’t do much to help. It was the Silent Brothers who saved you in the end, not me, remember?’

Max let go of Magnus and stood back, face solemn.

‘Yeah, but you came over to help me even though you were angry with Alec. And Mom told me that you ran in to protect me when Sebastian was loose in the Institute’

Magnus smiled, lightly, and nodded.

‘Well, come on in, then. There’s someone who’s very much looking forward to seeing the two of you’

He stepped back to let them through, then went off to find Madzie on the terrace while they closed the door behind them. He reappeared a minute later, Madzie in tow.

She clung on to Magnus’ leg shyly, and Alec’s heart swelled a little at the sight.

‘Hey, Madzie’ he smiled.

‘Hello, Alec’

Alec beamed when he heard Madzie’s soft reply.

He pulled Max around in front of him.

‘Madzie, this is my little brother, Max. Max, this is Madzie’

Max, a little unsure of himself, waved. After a moment, Madzie, obviously deciding that anyone Magnus hugged was good enough in her books, relinquished one of her hands from its grip on Magnus’ leg, and waved back.

They stared across at each other for a few moments, sizing each other up while Alec and Magnus shared an amused glance.

Eventually, Madzie let go of Magnus completely and skipped back out to her toys on the terrace. Max watched her go, then turned his neck to look up at his brother.

‘I’ve never met a baby warlock before’

He saw Magnus’ mouth wobbling, trying to hold in a laugh at the word “baby”. Madzie was five years younger than Max at most, and definitely not a baby.

Alec struggled to reign back his expression too.

He nodded, and then Max asked an unexpected question.

‘Is she going to stay a kid forever?’

Magnus _did_ laugh at that one, and Alec briefly thought Max would be offended, but he didn’t seem to mind.

‘No, she’ll grow up just like you. She’ll just stop ageing eventually. Like me’

Max nodded, satisfied with the explanation, then he set off after Madzie onto the terrace.

Amused, Alec walked up to Magnus, feeling the warlock slip an arm around his waist as the two of them followed the children out into the sunlight.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Madzie quickly decided that Max was trustworthy enough to touch her dolls.

Magnus and Alec, snugly ensconced on the loveseat, watched them play with some amusement. Max picked the dolls up somewhat awkwardly at first, seeming unsure of what he was supposed to do with them. He caught on fairly quickly though, trotting his toy horse after Madzie’s, one hand carefully balancing the doll on the horse’s back.

Magnus had ordered pizza in, and he went to collect it when the knock sounded on the door. He summoned a table next to the loveseat to spread the food and drinks out as Alec called the kids over. The pizza was wolfed down quickly, and hot chocolate prepared for Max and Madzie.

Alec accepted a welcome glass of red wine from his boyfriend, settling back down into the seat with a sigh. He was just about to scoot back closer to the warmth of Magnus’ body when he was beaten to it.

Max had squeezed into the space between them, having gone back in to the loft to grab the book on Komodo dragons Magnus had given him all those months ago. He began to animatedly discuss it with Magnus, and Alec smiled as he watched them.

Feeling a small hand tugging on his trousers, he glanced down to see Madzie standing at his knee. She held her arms out, and Alec reached automatically to grip her under the arms and lift her carefully up on to his lap. Immediately, she wrapped both arms around his neck, tucking her face into his collarbone.

Alec felt an unexpected lump in his throat. He glanced over at Magnus, who was busy regaling an adoring Max with the story about how they’d fought a dragon demon – ‘A dragon demon! Wow!’- on the beach. Magnus caught his eyes and smiled, and Alec couldn’t help but reach over to him, winding an arm over his shoulders. He hadn’t felt this content in a long, long time.

Magnus leaned easily into his embrace, and Alec shut his eyes, dozing off to the voices of his brother and the love of his life, with a sleeping “baby” warlock in his lap and Magnus’ familiar, warm weight along his arm.

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: the original sequel to my previous fic was going to be an angsty fic about Magnus reflecting on Max after Max's death :(  
> Thanks to the SH writers, I get to write fluffy, domestic fic instead! :P YAY
> 
> *Edited October 2017: I'm on Tumblr at calmbeforeastorm.tumblr.com! Come send me a prompt :)


End file.
